The Akolet people sat stunned after hearing about the ten plagues in Egypt. The God of the Bible had shown Himself more powerful than all the Egyptian gods! The Nile god couldn’t keep the river from turning to blood. The sacred bull god couldn’t protect their cattle from dying. The magic healing god couldn’t save the Egyptians from boils. And the sun god couldn’t make the darkness go away.

As the Akolet people silently absorbed the truth, realization dawned. The spirits they had feared and worshiped for generations didn’t have any power either! A water spirit couldn’t sink their canoe just because a woman is wearing red. And another spirit couldn’t send a storm just because someone spoke the Akolet language while traveling downriver.

“We’ve believed in these spirits because that’s what we were told was the truth,” one lady said. “But it is not the truth. Satan has been feeding us lies!”

In people groups around the world, when the veil is finally ripped away and truth dissipates the deceptions, reactions can be wide and varied. But all are welcome.

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13a).

Some groups, normally very subdued in their emotions, will suddenly jump up and start dancing for joy. Others, like the Akolet women, will announce, “I believe!” or “It is true!” and begin giving testimony of what they believe and why. Still other groups will just sit silently, tears streaming down their faces — too moved to move. And sometimes, fires will burn late into the night as people huddle around, rehearsing the Bible stories aloud and shaking their heads in wonderment at the great and powerful God they have come to know. Sleep? Who can sleep now?

And some will even have the courage to do things they’ve never done before. Like the man who went off into the jungle by himself.

The villagers had been taught since childhood that it was dangerous, even for grown men, to enter the jungle alone. The spirits lingered there. The spirits could kill. But this new believer dared to believe that God was stronger than the spirits. He dared to trust God. So he went into the jungle alone — and returned unharmed.

And his world would never be as small and fearful again.

When truth suddenly bursts into your life, how do you react or respond? Do you dance for joy? Share it? Weep? Shake your head in wonderment? Step out in faith and do something new?

 There isn’t one right response — as long as there is one.